Educational qualifications make a considerable difference for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in gaining employment, according to the latest Australian Social Trends (AST) report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

ABS Director of Social and Progress Reporting, Ms Fiona Dowsley, said “The unemployment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with Year 12, Certificate level II or above was less than half that of those without these qualifications.”

“A difference could also be seen in whether they worked part-time or not. As with the non-Indigenous population, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with these qualifications were less likely to be working part-time than those without Year 12 or Certificate level II or above.

“However the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in the labour force was still less than the non-Indigenous population.

“Nearly 6 in 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-64 were participating in the labour force in 2011, compared with nearly 8 in 10 non-Indigenous people.

“The unemployment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was three times as high as for non-Indigenous people,” said Ms Dowsley.